The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-27


dark form 10 another, and bent over
every corpse to see it's pale face. The
boy himself was pnle as death. II he
should find his father 80! But these
were all soldiers, he recognized them
from afar by the metal buttons which
shone in the moonlight. He had to
think OF the trim men as they rode IN
the morning laughing and cursing
through the village and now they
lay mulilated, covered with blood
and earth, forsaken and forgotten.
Max ran ever faster this way and
that way. From time to time he
stopped and walked across the fed.
Ii only the trees could speak! they
had seen everything, they knew if he
had gone on with the enemy or wheth-
er he had fallen on the field
"Dear Lord, grant that find himl"
cried Max, looking up to the starry
sky. Father, ara you here? Do you
not hear meP Your Max is herel
father!'
There came an answer; but not the
one Max had prayed fora loud mer'
ry neghing from horse which re echo
ed from the forest. Max almost drop
ped canteen, bread and knife in his
surprise and fright, but in the next
moment he leaped over the dead and
guns and broken wagons toward where
the neighing came from.
"Bayl" he cried "old Bay" and
there he stood beside the old horse,
near the upturned cart at the edge OF
the forest. "Where is my father"
cried Max, standing before the faithful
animal and looking anxlously at him,
as ii he could get an answer. "Don't
you know, Bay?-don't your"
But the horse turned his head aside
toward a beech and bent its head
down into the grass. In the next
moment Max knelt beside the man
who lay there. Poor boy! With
what haste did he feel OF his head and
breast, with what tire n,ing hands
did he raise the heavy head on his
knees, how anxiously, with what look
of love, despair and hope did he gaze
into the silent, unconscious face.
"Father" cried he, "your Max is
here! 1t is |! You hear me; open
your eyes only n little, only that |
might know that you live, that | can
tell it to motherl Please, dear, good,
father, open your eyes"
The hot tears streamed down the
cheeks OF the child and iell on the
forehead OF the man; and was it the
tears, or was it the sobbing, beseech'
ing voice which opened the tired,
closed eyes? Who can tell?-but they
did open, and Max hung on his Ia
theirs neck overpowered with Joy.
Child, you here" said the father,
with weak voice, after having looked
at him some time in a bewidered
way. "Max-"
Eyes, it is /, father" cried the little
fellow. half frightened, half joyful. 81
came to fetch you; bring you home
to mother. Are you sick, father?
Are you"
He did not dare to say what he
thought.
IL think it is my leg" said the ia
Their, and tried to sit up.
"Have you palms," asked Max,
kneeling and covering with both hands
the bleeding wound OF the leg.
"only a litt!e-but am thirsty so
thirsty"
al knew that" said Max, looking
for the things he had dropped. "All
wounded are thirsty. have brought
water herein your own canteen.
There, drink; that will refresh you;
and perhaps you are hungry. Doyou
want some bread? Only just a little
piece"
He put the bread in his father 5
hand, then he took his handkerchief
and tried TO bandage the leg as well rs
he could. Mother will make 1t bet
ter. il we only get to her" he said en-
couragingly, whilst he ran to the up
turned cart.
81 cannot raise it," said he, after
having tried hard to do so; but Bay
will carry you home, that will do; and
we will walk very slow, soyou should
not have too much pain. will help
you.-be not afraid"
Slowly indeed, but with great exer
ton from little Max, who was bathed
in perspiration, they succeeded. First
BAYS harness was cut and he was put
close to the wounded man. and then
the father was helped on the horse.
One moment Max thought he should
first fetch his mother; but then he
was afraid to leave his father among
the dead on the battle-fe where the
fight might perhaps be renewed on the
morrow. At last he had his father
safely on the back OF the horse, and
Max held the bride. Gently, quite
gently they went, step by step, away
from the forest, out on the meadows,
toward the village. At first the moon
and stars lighted up their way; then
they grew paler and in the east the
sky began to redden. ..
Now we are soon with mother, "